Anchor
by Dreamer Dreaming of a Dream
Summary: "I knew that I couldn't live this life. My old one was calling me back, pulling me, drowning me. I can't risk for them to be in danger, Gab. I can't. It would tear me apart." Gabriel/OC Friendship One-shot. Rated T for language


Anchor

Summary: "I knew that I couldn't live this life. My old one was calling me back, pulling me, drowning me. I can't risk for them to be in danger, Gab. I can't. It would tear me apart." Gabriel/OC Friendship. Rated T for language

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The young woman quietly and slowly zipped up her bag, making sure that she didn't make any sort of noise. Letting out a small sigh, Alex looked over her shoulder and let her eyes roam over her husbands form. She walked over to him lightly, watching his chest rise and fall evenly. His blonde hair was tousled, his mouth open as small snores erupted from his throat. The dark haired female allowed a small smile flutter to her face. She let her eyes roam over his face, making sure that she never forgot even the smallest of details that were etched into his face.

The Star of David sat neatly on his bare chest. The silver chain glinted in the small sliver of light the moon had escaped through the blinds. Alex thought about letting her fingers trace the small stubble that lined his jaw, but soon dismissed the idea and turned away, setting the folded letter on the wooden dresser beside the bed. She walked over to her bag and slung it over her shoulder. Taking a deep breath of air, Alex walked out of the bedroom door, heading for the back door.

But it didn't stop her from taking on last fleeting glance at the pictures of her and Anthony that littered the living room. But she made herself keep going, making sure that she never looked back. And she didn't. She walked straight to her dark purple 1970 Plymouth Roadrunner GTX with little to no emotion on her face.

"Running away?" A voice startled her, making her drop her keys on the cold pavement. She whirled around to see Gabriel standing there, a lollipop hanging from his lips.

The young woman's expression changed. There was no more surprised confusion on her face but yet the cold hard mask her dad taught her how to do was in place. Her eyes stared at the mischievous Angel for a tense moment before she turned away and bent down to pick up her keys, but found that they weren't there. A jingle caught her attention as her hands tightened into fist. She straightened up and looked back at the Trickster.

"Looking for these?" He asked mockingly, jingling them in front of his face and then stuffing them into his pocket.

"Gabriel," she practically growled, her temper growing by the minute. "Give me the keys."

He looked somewhat appalled by the command. "Did you just command me to do something?" He asked, but it was a rhetorical question. It only irked Alex more.

"Yes, you pom—"

"Be quiet, Alexandria." That one demand made her shut her trap. He never used her full name unless he was angry. And boy was he angry. Gabriel loves a good joke here and there, but he was Gabriel, dammit. He was the Glorious Messenger of the Court of Heaven. He was the most excellent Saint and Archangel. He was and is the first minister of God. Interpreter for Daniel the Prophet. Instructor of Zachary the Priest. Annunciator to the humans Holy Mother Mary. Bringer of the word of truth. His wrath could not match any others, not Lucifer's, and certainly not Michael's. He was the one who silenced Zachariah until his son was born, after all. And it was all because Zachariah questioned him, but most importantly, questioned God.

Nobody disrespects him or his Father.

"Alex," he sighed, disappointment coloring his voice. "After years of traveling and hunting, you finally find someone that wants to be with you." His green/brown eyes stared her down, waiting for her to glare at him. To call him every name in the book. To say something to try and defend herself. But not a word left her lips. Her dark eyes lost their fire and instead, sadness cloaked her brown —almost black— eyes.

"You don't understand, Gabriel." She whispered, refusing to meet his eye.

Gabriel scoffed and walked closer to her. "Oh I understand, Alex." Her eyes glanced up at his defiantly, waiting for the words to come out. "You're afraid." He stated.

She tried laughing it off and calling it a lie. She wanted to never be afraid. Hell, she refused to be afraid. "I'm not afraid."

A mocking laugh came from the immortal being. "Yes, you are."

She chuckled harshly at him, pacing around and throwing her arms up in the air, like it was something to distract her from meeting his eyes. Like it gave her some confidence. "And pray tell, what am I afraid of? Huh, Gabriel?" She asked, looking at him, but not looking into his eyes.

Pity filled his eyes as he looked at her. "Becoming like your father."

The mocking smile left her lips. "Like my father?" She asked mockingly, making it come out harshly. "My father was nothing but a bastard that left Shawn, my mother, and I behind. And for what?" There was a moment when there was a silent pause. "For him to just get marry again and have another child; my half-sister?"

"He cared ab—"

"No he didn't." She cut him off sharply, feeling sadness wash over her. For five years her dad stayed with her, Shawn, and their mother. Until one day he just up and left. No note. No notice. Nothing. He just... left. And he never came back. The last thing that she ever heard of him was him calling her mother when she was six and Shawn was ten and telling their mother that he re-married and had another. Alex's half-sister; Jessica. She wanted to cry just for thinking about how her mother reacted. It was a slow one. A reaction where she kept denying it. Trying to rationalize it in her head. Telling herself that he was coming back. To stay.

But he never did.

He never came back and he never called them again.

He just disappeared. Selfishly. Uncaringly.

Gabriel watched as unshed tears shined in her eyes, her throat constricting, and her eyebrows furrowing. It was like she was holding back everything. She was trying to show him that she was not vulnerable. Around him it was different. He knew her inside and out. He knew every little detail about her. He knew how she felt about her family. And it didn't matter that Jessica was her half-sister, Alex thought of Jessie as her full one and made sure to protect her when the younger girl's mother died and was shipped to her house to stay.

But now looking at the young, independent woman in front of him, Gabriel's eyes softened. Her eye's had strayed unknowingly to her house. The one that she was finally building a family in. It contained her husband and her three year old son. As he looked closer, Gabriel noticed that her wedding bands were not around her fingers and the locket that her mother gave to her was not around her neck.

She wanted to leave it behind, he realized. She wasn't planning on coming back. And when he figured it out, he grew angry.

"Alex." She didn't look at him for a second but her eyes did shift back to him, a sad frown pulling down her lips. He stepped closer and grabbed her shoulders, looking in her eyes, trying to search for any hope that maybe she would stay. "You can't do this to them. You can't leave Anthony." She just kept looking at him, determinedly set on leaving. His voice dropped down into a gruff whisper, his eyes hard. "You can't do this to Christopher." That done it. He could tell that he did some real damage to her by involving her son.

Stepping back, Alex turned away from the Angel. "You don't understand." She whispered. She sounded so broken and she wanted to hit him so hard right now. But she would just hurt herself. She couldn't look in Gabriel's direction. She knew that he would be glaring at her. She could feel the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. She just wanted to go. To get away. To go help her sister. To help Jessie. "I thought that I could live this normal life, Gab. I thought that if I settled down, then maybe I could leave the life of a hunter behind." She shoved her hands in her pockets, her teeth biting on her bottom lips.

"But I was wrong. Everyday that went by, I was always looking over my shoulder. Telling Anthony that everything was alright when he asked me what was wrong. _I lied_. I didn't want to think of what I did before I met him. I just wanted to focus on making a life with him." She looked up at the starry sky, her lips trembling. "_I love him_, Gabriel. And _I love Christopher_. And it's hard for me to leave, really it is. But it's for the best. I'm vulnerable here, Gab. With them. What if I'm not strong enough to protect them? What if they got killed? I _can't_ let that happen Gab. _I can't._"

Her heart pounded in her chest. Painful thumps made a little beat. "I can't let them die. And I refuse." She then turned to the Angel, tears were streaming down her face. But she still tried to look strong and not break down crying on the pavement. Her chin was jutted out, her posture straight, giving off the illusion that she wasn't affect by anything at this very moment. But he could see the slight twitch in her lips. He sighed and shoved his hands in his pockets, having a staring contest with the human.

Then she said something that really struck a chord in him.

"I knew that I couldn't live this life. My old one was calling me back, pulling me, drowning me. I can't risk for them to be in danger, Gab. I can't. It would tear me apart."

And then he grabbed her keys out of his pockets and tossed them at her, watching as she snatched them with one hand. She gave him a grateful look, one that made him disappear. The sound of beating wings were the only thing that was evidence that the Angel was there.

Alexandria clutched the keys and stood frozen for an instant before she climbed into her car and rode off. Never looking back once to see Gabriel was once again standing there, watching her go. He watched as the old car drove off until he couldn't see it anymore. Even when the car was gone, he still stood there, wondering if he should've used his Angel mojo on her and made her stay. Wondering on what he had done. Wondering if she would be alright. Wondering if she might come back. Wondering if she would ever think back on Anthony and Christopher.

Even when all these thoughts rushed through his head, one thought was clear and repetitive. This thought was one of the many that were always kept in the depths of his head and heart.

_Alexandria, no matter what choices you make, always know that I'll be watching over you. Remember that I am the anchor to your ship. And no matter what kind of things that you say, I will always be here when you need me. _

And when the early sun rays started peaking over the hills, Gabriel disappeared. His wings flapping off in the distance.

* * *

_I wish things were different. _Alex thought, grabbing her phone and dialing the familiar number before pressing the 'ok' button and putting the grey electronic to her ear, hearing it ring. _I wish that I could live the apple pie life. I wish I could stay and watch Christopher grow up to be a wonderful young man. I wish I could grow old with Anthony and die peacefully, beside him. I wish— _

"_Hello?" _

Alex's train of thought ended and her frown turned into a small smirk. "Hey, Jess. Look, I'm on my way. Something important showed up and had to take care of it. I'll be at the motel in some hours."

Jessie's laugh sounded over the other end of the phone. "_'In some hours', she says. Nice to know that you haven't changed, Alex._"

"You thought I did?" She asked, feigning amusement. She tried covering up her sadness, guilt, shame. She succeeded.

"_Never thought of it. Anyways, I'll see you when you get here. Thanks again Alex. For everything._"

"Hey, you're my sister, my family and family protects each other. You don't have to thank me, because after we gank this demon or whatever the hell it is, you're buying me my dinner."

Jess groaned over the phone. "_Fine_."

And they said their goodbyes, Jessie never knowing that Alex frowned once she was off the phone and eyes staring straight ahead. One more fleeting thought crossing her mind before she drowned it out with AC/DC.

_I wish things were different._

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**HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND EVERYBODY! So anyways, this story was rattling off in my head for a while and I just had to write it down. It was tough but I pulled through. Hope you enjoyed the Gabriel/Alex friendship thing. Leave a review if you want! ^.^**


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